Percy Jackson and the Department of Mysteries

95) Unorthodox Uses of Jellybeans

"OUCH!"

Harry had the towel he was using pressed against his face, and I could barely make out a grimace.

"What's up?" Several people piped up, halting their cleaning up for a moment. Angelina's face was concerned. She hadn't yet had to deal with an injured teammate as captain.

"Nothing," Harry said, emerging from behind his towel, eyes narrowed as he tried to focus on people without the help of his glasses, "I — poked myself in the eye, that's all..." But he sent me a look, and I knew it was more than a towel touching his eye.

"What happened?" I asked as soon as everyone else had left the changing room. "Was it your scar?" Harry nodded.

"But..." Ron looked around in fear, "he can't be near us now, can he?"

"No," Harry sat hard on a bench, rubbing his forehead. "He's probably miles away. It hurt because... he's... angry."

I think that was scarier than Voldemort being close — I didn't like Harry knowing what Voldemort was feeling.

"Did you see him?" Ron questioned, horror written across his face. "Did you... get a vision, or something?"

Harry didn't answer, instead saying, "He wants something done, and it's not happening fast enough."

"But... how do you know?"

Harry shook his head and pressed his palms against his eyes. I slowly sat down beside him, "Is this what it was about last time? When your scar hurt in Umbridge's office? Voldemort was angry?" He shook his head again. "What is it, then?"

Harry thought about it for a moment, "Last time, it was because he was pleased. Really pleased. He thought... something good was going to happen. And the night before we came back to Hogwarts..." He paused, pulling away from his hands. "He was furious."

Ron was gaping, "You could take over from Trelawney, mate."

"I'm not making prophecies," Harry frowned.

"No, you know what you're doing?" Ron said, eyes wide with fear, yet still he seemed impressed. "Harry, your reading You-Know-Who's mind...."

"No," Harry said heavily. "It's more like... his mood, I suppose. I'm just getting flashes of what mood he's in.... Dumbledore said something like this was happening last year.... He said that when Voldemort was near me, or when he was feeling hatred, I could tell. Well, now I'm feeling it when he's pleased, too..."

We didn't say anything for a moment, then I let out a sigh, "You've got to tell someone."

"I told Sirius last time," Harry shrugged.

"Well, tell him about it this time!" Ron input.

"Can't, can I?" Harry said darkly. "Umbridge is watching the owls and the fires, remember?"

"Well then, Dumbledore —"

"I've just told you, he already knows," Harry quickly got to his feet, taking his cloak off its hook and pulling it around himself. "There's no point in telling him again."

"Dumbledore'd want to know," Ron said slowly, pulling on his own cloak, looking distant. "He should know."

Harry just shrugged, "C'mon... we've still got Silencing Charms to practice..."

We didn't talk as we made our way back to the castle, all lost within our own thoughts. I was worried — the whole scar burning things was growing more frequent, and to see into Voldy's feelings? Not very good. I couldn't judge though, I had a connection with a half-goat.